Method and apparatus for preserving data in a high-availability system preserving device characteristic data

A method for retrieving component characteristic data in a system having a plurality of coupled components, the method comprising the step of:

• storing characteristic data for a subset of the plurality of components in a storage device on the corresponding component;
• retrieving the characteristic data from each of the components in the subset over a bus coupled to each of the components in the subset;
• and
• storing a portion of the retrieved characteristic data in a persistent media device to provide a last known good copy of the portion of the characteristic data for the system, wherein the system includes at least two devices, and wherein each of the devices drives one handshake signal to and receives one handshake signal from the other one of the at least two devices on the bus.

A system comprising:

• a plurality of coupled components, wherein a subset of the plurality of coupled components each include a storage device for storing characteristic data associated with the component in which the storage device is included, wherein the characteristic data is component characteristic data selected from a group including identity data, sanity check data and manufacturing data;
• a bus, coupling the storage devices of each component in the subset of components;
• and
• persistent media, for storing a last known good copy of a portion of the characteristic data, wherein the characteristic data includes a world wide name seed.

A system comprising:

• a plurality of coupled components, wherein a subset of the plurality of coupled components each include a storage device for storing characteristic data associated with the component in which the storage device is included;
• a bus, coupling the storage devices of each component in the subset of components;
• persistent media, for storing a last known good copy of a portion of the characteristic data;
• and wherein the subset of the plurality of components includes at least one control component, the persistent media being provided on the at least one control component, wherein the control component further includes:
• an input sense signal, for sensing the status of the bus;
• arbitration logic, for arbitrating for control of the bus by the control component in response to the input sense signal.

A component comprising:

• a storage device for storing characteristic data associated with the component;
• a bus, coupled to the storage device;
• means for transferring a portion of the characteristic data to persistent media to provide a last known good copy of the portion of the characteristic data,
• arbitration logic, responsive to an input sensing signal, for controlling access to the bus by the component;
• and
• an output sensing signal, for indicating to an external device a drive state of the bus by the component.

A method for booting an operating system in a system comprised of a plurality of interconnected components, a subset of the interconnected components each including a storage device for storing characteristic data associated with the component in which the storage device is included, the method including the step of:

• retrieving characteristic data from each of the storage devices of the subset of interconnected components;
• verifying that the retrieved characteristic data is valid;
• and responsive to a determination that the retrieved characteristic data is valid, storing a portion of the characteristic data as a last known good copy in a persistent media, and indicating that a last known good copy of the characteristic data has been saved;
• responsive to a determination that the retrieved characteristic data is not valid, determining whether a last known good copy of the portion of characteristic data has been saved in the persistent media, copying the last known good copy from the first persistent media.